c# - How do I remedy the "The breakpoint will not currently be hit. No symbols have been loaded for this document." warning?

C# desktop application on express edition. Worked then didn't work 5 seconds later.

I tried the following.

• Ensure debug configuration, debug flag, and full debug info are set on all assemblies.


• Delete all bin and obj folders and all DLLs related to the project from my entire machine.


• Recreate projects causing the problem from scratch.


• Reboot.

I have two WinForms projects in the solution. One of them loads the debug info, one doesn't. They both refer to the assembly I'm trying to get debug info on in exactly the same way in the project file. Any ideas?

---

I want to add in here, mostly for myself when I come back to review this question, that symbols are not loaded until the assembly is loaded, and the assembly is not loaded until it is needed. If the breakpoint is in a library that is only used in one function in your main assembly, the symbols will not be loaded (and it will show the breakpoint as not being hit) until that function is called.

Answer

Start debugging, as soon as you've arrived at a breakpoint or used Debug > Break All, use Debug > Windows > Modules. You'll see a list of all the assemblies that are loaded into the process. Locate the one you want to get debug info for. Right-click it and select Symbol Load Information. You'll get a dialog that lists all the directories where it looked for the .pdb file for the assembly. Verify that list against the actual .pdb location. Make sure it doesn't find an old one.

In normal projects, the assembly and its .pdb file should always have been copied by the IDE into the same folder as your .exe. The bin\Debug folder of your project. Make sure you remove one from the GAC if you've been playing with it.